Trial by Fire
by Silvandar
Summary: In their first year of college, HitsuHina experience their "trial by fire" ALT UNIVERSE, HETRO SMUT, CRACK
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **This is an AU fic, so please don't hate me if the characters are a little OOC! This fic is adult themed and has fairly graphic scenes. Its also only my second multi chapter ever!

Trial by Fire

He wandered into the canteen. It was a boiling hot day and all he craved was a slushy and some ice cream. He ignored the usual abuse about his nearly white hair and short frame from the jocks and grabbed his lunch, then pushed his way through the crowds until he spotted his target. She was buried in a book as usual, a forkful of food stuck half way to her mouth. The closest he could get to a smile crossed his usually stern features, and he weaved his way over to her table.

Momo Hinamori looked up in surprise as he dropped his tray next to hers, then switched to disgust as she saw his lunch. "Toshiro Hitsugaya, you are not eating that crap here. Go get some real food or don't bother sitting down" she exclaimed, jabbing her fork at him. Shiro froze half way to sitting down and stared, then, realising she was being serious he rose and stalked over to the salad bar with a scowl.

Momo watched him go with a smirk. She usually got her way with him, but she still cherished the triumphs. When they had been "Just Friends" back in high school he had sometimes been stubborn. Since coming to college, and more importantly since abandoning the "friends" part for something far more fluffy, he had stopped arguing over pretty much everything. Her eyes narrowed slightly... everything apart from his refusal to even consider letting her dye his hair blue. Still, she was working on it...

He flopped back into his chair and presented his new lunch for approval, inwardly chuckling at how much she enjoyed bossing him around. Once the food was inspected and approved, he leaned in and snatched a quick appetizer kiss before she could dodge. She squeaked and blushed pink, burying herself in her book again with a wide smile. Satisfied, Shiro pushed his salad to the side and attacked his ice cream.

...

Shiro yawned and began to doze. He had been sitting in the shade of the science block pretending to do his research paper, and the sounds of the distant phys Ed class mixed with the summer heat worked its drowsy magic. He blinked a few times and stretched out, folding his arms behind his head and covering his face with his papers. He had a free period, a few minutes catnap wouldn't hurt.

A female pay-attention-to-me cough jerked him fully awake and he brushed his work aside. His gaze found feet and travelled upwards, his eyes becoming wider and wider as they reached the newcomer's face... Knee length leather boots, a black skirt so short he couldn't help but blush, a bright yellow blouse with black stripes that barely covered an explosion of breasts and a pair of green eyes nearly as startling as his own. The final blow to his libido was the dark tan and clashing shock of blonde hair in messy short spikes. She was so striking that for a long moment he didn't register what her face actually looked like... gorgeous, his brain supplied after a few seconds.

She let him stare and then, happy with his stunned reaction, sat down next to him. Shiro watched her sit down and habit from being with Momo made his eyes lock to her face. His only occasion of looking at Momo's chest had gotten him a ringing slap and the silent/ crying treatment for about 3 days, and Shiro never made the same mistake twice.

So it only added to his confusion when she leaned into him and said "its OK... you can look if you want to..." Her voice was deep and soft, and as she leaned in close he smelt vanilla and hints of orange from her perfume. His head swam with the overload, and all he could manage to say was a pathetic "... eh?"

She laughed, a treacle sound that made something in his stomach do a back-flip, and winked at him. "You're Shiro, right? The freshman science super nerd?"

Shiro went crimson. He had only been at this damn college for 4 weeks and had already been labelled. The stranger laughed again at his reaction and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, you should hear what they call me!" She flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes and grinned, revealing perfect white teeth. Shiro backed away as if she had just snarled at him, and his head connected with the wall. Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, he stuttered "wha... what do you... who are you?"

The blonde looked disappointed that he didn't know her, then gave him a wide smile. "I'm Tia. Tia Harribel. You can call me Harri" she winked at him again. "I let all the cute boys call me that."

Shiro went a deeper shade of red at being called "cute" and coughed nervously. "Wha... I mean, nice to... meet you. What... can I help you with something?"

"Sure you can, Shiro!" She leaned forward conspiratorially and ran a long fingernail along his jaw, making him twitch in panic. "I need a favour from you... I can pay for it however you want..."

His mind actually shut down at that point and he shivered slightly. "What favour?" he asked, his voice sounding harsh from the sudden dryness in his throat. Harri chuckled again and sat back, clearly satisfied with scaring him half to death. "I need someone to read over my chem paper for tomorrow. You're supposed to be really good, so I figured you could help me out!"

Shiro blinked at her and frowned slightly. "But you... you're not in my year, are you? I haven't seen you..."

"No, I'm a second year" she laughed. "You're taking some of my friends second year classes though, so I think you can handle it!"

"I... I am? Oh..." Shiro shook himself, trying to rally. "Well I guess I could look over it for you... I mean, I don't know how good I'll be..."

"Don't worry at all about that" she said, drawing close to him again and brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I'm sure you'll do just... fine..."

...

Shiro stared at the paper in front of him. Harri had said "look over" the paper, which he had realised translated to "write it for me". The question was one he had actually done himself – as she had pointed out, he was taking advanced classes in chemistry. The fact that all he had to do was copy his essay and change the wording a bit didn't make it in any way better. He prepared to rip the sheets up for the 3rd time, and for the 3rd time he froze as he heard her voice saying "I'll pay for it however you want..." and the furious blush this brought made him put the papers down again. He groaned and gave up, accepting his fate.

...

He gave her the paper the next day, and to his shock she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, looking him deep in the eyes and then kissing his cheek slowly and deliberately... he had gone a familiar shade of red, stammered some kind of response and bolted.

He tried to forget about her for the rest of the week, failed miserably and was still in a state when he arrived for his soccer game. It was a small match and he was not in a good mood, so he was glad that Momo couldn't make it. He decided to take his stress out on the ball and started to feel better about everything as he built up a decent sweat. That was until he heard a loud wolf whistle from the side of the pitch, spun and saw Harri standing there with 3 of her friends. She was jumping up and down cheering for him and the girls with her were waving to the rest of the guys! He ran hurriedly away from the group and tried to avoid going near that side of the pitch, but every time he took possession of the ball he heard her cheering and shouting his name.

Nerves seriously fried, Shiro started dodging the ball to avoid being cheered. Quickly, angry curses from his team mates put a stop to that, and he was forced to line up for a goal. He tried to close his ears as he took the kick, but just before he connected with the ball he heard her shout "do it, baby!" He fouled the kick and skidded on the grass, landing on his back and hearing the ball bounce off the top bar. Groaning, he picked himself up and half limped, half ran off the field as the end of match whistle blew.

Ears still ringing from the abuse of his team mates, Shiro ran the 2 miles home. He lived close enough that on campus housing was just a waste of money. After giving his nan a heavily censored version of his day he grabbed a quick shower and then jumped the 3 foot wall that separated his sprawling wasteland of a yard from Momo's immaculate back lawn. The side door was open as usual, and he waved to her dad as he headed up the stairs to her room. Her father grunted at him – since going from her childhood friend to her boyfriend he had been granted less freedom around the Hinamori household, but a serious lecture from her parents about proper and acceptable behaviour meant at least that they could still hang out in each others rooms without a chaperone. Which meant as he knocked on her door, Shiro's thoughts were brought to a sudden screeching halt with the thought of being alone with her on her bed... he shook his head to block the reason why his hormones were running rampant and .pushed the door open at her call.

He tried to wipe the flush from his face, seeing her sitting in the middle of a pile of homework on the bed smiling as he came in. "Did you run over here Shiro? You're bright red...?"

"No... yeah, I guess. You OK?" he asked, carefully finding a safe spot to sit amongst the papers. She nodded glumly and gestured at her work. "I don't think I will finish any of this tonight. And they all need to be back tomorrow..."

Shiro picked up an English textbook and eyed the questions attached to it. "Well I can help you with most of this. Give me a pen and I'll do the notes for you?"

"Thanks Shiro" she sighed, passing him the pen. "I'll pay you back, I promise... what's wrong?" she exclaimed in alarm as he went crimson from the neck up. "No... nothing!" he gasped. He hadn't dared to tell her about Harri... especially not about the "repayment" she had promised him!

They worked for hours and eventually cleared the workload enough to allow Momo to declare that she was going on strike. Shiro was nearly winded by her diving onto him as he lay on the pillows at the top of the bed, and she snuggled down against him happily as he recovered. Once she was encircled by his arms, she sighed and began tracing patterns over his hands.

"What did you dream this morning?" she asked, her voice sounding sleepy and content.

"I dreamed about birds again. About flying. I thought I had huge blue wings, and I could fly about super fast" he said, smiling slightly. "What did you dream?"

"You" she said, squeezing his fingers with hers gently. "I dreamed we were eating pie in a store, and you kept throwing custard at me. So I covered you in ketchup and you said I had ruined your pie by getting ketchup on it."

He laughed and kissed her hair softly. "You have freaky dreams" he smiled, and she raised her head to scowl at him. "No freakier than yours!" she declared, and he leaned forward and kissed her before she could move away. "Pfff" he said as he pulled back, watching her eyes widen in surprise. "Flying dreams are awesome."

She stared at him and then giggled, shaking her head. "Dad would kill you if he saw you do that. Bedroom kissing is Not Allowed, remember?" Shiro laughed as well, and shrugged. "I can't help myself" he said, and kissed her again, sinking his fingers into her hair this time and holding her to him. She kissed him back softly, loving the feel of his lips on hers.

They snuggled down onto the bed, Shiro wrapping his arms around her. He loved her even more when she was relaxed like this, not worrying so much about what her parents or their pastor thought about her. He smiled as they kissed slowly, feeling her press against him and twisting her fingers into his scruffy hair.

Momo sighed into the kiss, shivering as she felt his fingers exploring her spine slowly. She pressed against him and stroked his face as he kissed her, enjoying the feeling her heart speeding up from his attention. Her mind was peaceful and happy... until she felt the kiss change, becoming more intense. She gasped slightly as his tongue touched hers and his fingers slipped over the skin of her waist underneath her t shirt...

"Shiro!" she cried, yanking back out of his arms and away from him, her eyes hurt and angry. He sat bolt upright, instantly red and ashamed of himself. "What are you doing?" she demanded, and he stammered a desperate apology. "I'm really sorry! I don't know why I did that.. I'm sorry Momo" he pleaded. She stared at him for a long moment then folded her arms and said "OK... I... don't do that again!"

"I won't, I promise. I'm really sorry..."

"Well... good. Fine. Maybe you... should get back home. Its getting late."

"Yeah" he said, climbing off the bed and heading for the door, head bowed in shame. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning?"

"I'll get the bus" she said, her voice still upset. "O...OK" he said morosely, and left as fast as possible.

He ran up to his room in a fury with himself and buried his head under his pillow. "Toshiro, you are so fucking stupid!" he snarled, the memory of her hurt reaction burning in his mind. Momo's parents were really strict, and she was terrified that they would find out instantly if she did anything "bad". It had taken her nearly 3 months to cope with kisses at all, let alone kissing _and _cuddling. And knowing that, knowing all about her fears, he had let his hormones take over and... and... WHY had he...

And a heated memory rose up to answer him...

...

The day after he had done her homework for her, Harri had cornered him in the library. He had been pawing through the history section, and was sat surrounded by reference books against the back wall when she had found him, and before he had realised she was there she was standing over him with her hands on her hips. He had made the error of looking up at her, forgetting the usual length of her skirts...

Crimson before she had even said anything, he had tried to get to his feet but she had knelt down instead, straddling his thighs and putting her hands on the wall either side of his head. He had whimpered something and she had grinned at him savagely.

"Shiiiiro..." she purred, wriggling a bit on his legs and making the blood pour to his cheeks and groin at the same time. He coughed as he tried to speak and she laughed at him again. "You are so cute, Shiro! I could just eat you up..."

He shook himself frantically and croaked "what do you want..."

"Tch... always so grumpy! You need to lighten up, hunny." She traced her fingers over his forehead, making him flinch backwards. "Otherwise you'll get... well, more frown lines that you already have."

"I... what is it you _want_ Tia?" he snarled, desperate to get her off him. She tutted and flicked his nose with her fingernails, making him squeak.

"I told you to call me Harri" she reminded him, and he struggled weakly.

"Please get off me..." he begged

"Or someone might see? You lost track of time baby, its 6pm. We're the only people in here... So relax will you!"

He groaned at the prospect of being alone with her and said "pleeeease Harri, just tell me what you want? Homework getting too much for you?"

"Not this time, Shiro sweetie. This time, its a pleasure visit instead of business..."

His eyes went huge and he seriously struggled this time. She smiled at him and pinned his hands to the floor, leaning in so close that her nose was touching his. He shuddered slightly and tried to talk his way out of the position.

"Look I think you are great and all but my girlfriend, she'll go nuts if she hears about this and I really like her so you know, please don't take this the wrong way but I really need you to just... just back off... please..."

"I like it when you say please, Shiro. It makes you look very... vulnerable" she purred, rubbing her nose against his gently and then captured his lips with her own. He flinched but his head was already against concrete, and all he could do was try desperately hard not to respond to the kiss...

...which didn't faze Harri at all, and as she kissed him and slid her tongue into his mouth he reacted on pure instincts, closing his eyes and parting his lips for her. She released his hands and sank her fingers into his hair, running her free hand over his shoulder and onto the back of his neck, holding him gently as they kissed. He moaned softly as she stroked his tongue with hers and his arms slipped around her waist, pulling her closer to him...

He snapped back to himself as he felt her breasts press against his chest and with a burst of strength bought mostly with adrenalin, he forced her off him and onto her backside, and leapt to his feet.

"Leave me alone, Harri!" he hissed at her, mottled with shame and fading lust. "I have a girlfriend for fucks sake! Just back off and leave me the hell alone!" He ran past her, but froze when she laughed, tossing her head slightly. "Don't worry about that sweetie... you'll come to me soon enough. Your little girlfriend will drive you right into my arms!"

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Your precious Momo will reject you Shiro. She isn't woman enough for you. When you decide you're ready for a _real _woman, come and find me." She looked over her shoulder at him and winked lewdly. "I'll be waiting for you baby" she purred, as he ran for his life.

...


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: **This is an AU fic, so please don't hate me if the characters are a little OOC! This fic is adult themed and has fairly graphic scenes. Its also only my second multi chapter ever!

Trial by Fire

"What _is _it about this guy, Harri?"

Harribel glanced up from her magazine and met the frustrated glare of Apache, who was sitting on the windowsill, girl/guy-watching. Her friend raised an eyebrow when she didn't respond, and said "I've never seen you this... creepy about a guy before. He's only a freshman for gods sake!"

"He's got something though... even you admitted that! He's just... just..."

"Taken."

"Well, yeah. Its no fun if you can't break some poor little sorority girl's heart over it."

"Is that it? You don't usually work this hard just for that."

Harri sighed and sat up, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Honestly? I don't know. I saw him in that stupid welcoming ceremony and just... I wanted him. More than I've wanted anything in a long while."

Apache stared at her, a horrible suspicion sweeping over her. "You don't mean... not... not as a... a... boyf-"

"Of course not!" Harri snapped, waving her hands. "I just want to, ya know, take him for a spin. A weekend long, extremely dirty spin..."

The shorter girl relaxed. "You had me scared then Harri. I thought you were going over to the dark side on me."

"Yeah, right" the blonde said dismissively. She stared at the magazine for a moment, then said quietly "He has something though. If I ever would... I think he would be my type..."

...

Shiro was hiding in the classroom to avoid the sweltering heat of the summer and allegedly to catch up on some revision. Really, he was trying not to fall asleep at the desk.

He glanced up as the door opened and leapt backwards off the chair as Harribel walked in. "What do you want?" he snarled, determined not to allow her anywhere near him. She chuckled at him and sat on his desk, crossing her legs and leaning on her wrists. He gaped at her for a moment.

She had abandoned her usual long boots and was wearing sandals that only made her legs look even longer. Her skirt was tiny, and Shiro's eyes couldn't help but wander up her tanned thighs... snapping his eyes upwards didn't help, her position on the desk pushed her already impressive chest out further, and her expression caused him to think of a model draped over an expensive car. He shook his head and tried to force down the memory of her kissing him.

"I wanted to see you Shiro. You've been avoiding me since our date in the library. Three weeks!"

"Date? Are you... are you out of your mind?" he demanded, nastily shocked. "You pinned me to the ground and snogged me, and I knocked you on your ass. How is _that_ a date?"

She laughed throatily, making ice run down his spine, and shook her head. "Oh Shiro you are so much fun to play with" she said with a grin. He blushed and she raised an eyebrow. "How about we meet up later, and I can teach you some new games..."

"Forget it" he said hurriedly. He began to edge toward the door before realising she was sitting on his stuff. "Harri... you can't stalk me like this. Its freakin crazy!"

"Stalking? Oh Shiro! You think I'm stalking you? Sweetie, I already told you, I know you'll come to me eventually. This is just..." she grinned like a shark "...foreplay!"

He stared at her, ridged with terror for a moment, then made a dash past the desk for the door. She caught his wrist easily and he realised with shock that she was incredibly strong, for such a slender looking girl. She yanked him off balance and before he knew what was happening, she had her thighs locked around his waist and his hands pinned to his chest.

"Gah!" he managed, before she pulled him into her using her legs. She was grinning widely, and for a mad second Shiro thought she was actually going to take a bite out of him. He yelped helplessly as her lips found his, and then once again, his hormones took the reins from fear and he returned her kiss, eyes closed and his resistance failing...

Harri released his arms once he was kissing her without too much fighting, and crossed her wrists behind his neck, still holding him tightly to her with her legs. She smiled her triumph as she felt his hands on her waist, then moving up her back and sinking into her hair. She slipped her tongue between his lips, tasting his breath and nipped his lower lip softly, rewarded with a small moan.

Shiro raged at himself as he gave in to her kiss _again, _but was incapable of stopping himself from running his hands over her body, up over her narrow shoulders and into the mane of her hair. He groaned as she deepened the kiss, his mind swimming with new sensations. He suddenly became aware of the heat between her thighs pressing against his groin, and with shame he realised he was becoming aroused. He tried to pull his body away from her and she responded by tightening her grip on his waist and then, to his horror she dropped her hand down past his collarbone, brushing his nipple and then sinking lower...

His eyes flew open as she rubbed her palm over his arousal and his body twitched at the touch. She sensed it, opening huge green eyes to look at him and then trailed her tongue along his jaw and down onto his throat. He gripped her shoulders as if to anchor himself as she stroked his groin, nipping and kissing the skin on his throat. He closed his eyes, his face burning with heat, moaning softly as he felt her fingers moving expertly over him.

She smiled against his throat as she pleasured him. Listening to him moan and feeling his body shivering as she touched him was turning her on more than if he was touching her himself. She slowed her motion down and firmed her grip, whispering his name into his ear.

Shiro shuddered as he felt her grip change and grabbed the top of the desk, trying to stop his knees giving way. Every nerve in his body was centred around her slowly moving hand. Noone had ever touched him like this, he had only done it himself a few times. His moans increased in volume as Harri's motion drew him closer to climax, the fact that he was about to come in his pants in the middle of an empty classroom a minor concern at this point. He buried his face into her shoulder and sank his teeth into the muscle as he came, shuddering beneath her gentle touch. She sighed happily as she felt him release, and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as he subsided against her.

He opened his eyes and pulled away from her, and for a wonder she let him go. Unable to meet her gaze and crimson with shame he grabbed his books and ran for the door, using his coat to hide the evidence of what they had just done. She smiled like a cat as she watched him go, and then headed off to her dorm room, on a high of victory.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: **This is an AU fic, so please don't hate me if the characters are a little OOC! This fic is adult themed and has fairly graphic scenes. Its also only my second multi chapter ever!

Trial by Fire

Momo snuggled down on the rumpled bedsheets and wrapped her arms around Shiro. They had been at his place watching movies in his room, devouring popcorn and cuddling. She had finally gotten her workload cleared and was in a happy place. She responded eagerly when he lent down and kissed her, slipping her arms around his neck and purring into his kisses.

Shiro felt a familiar heat in his groin and groaned inwardly. Ever since the classroom "incident" with Harribel a few weeks ago he had found it harder and harder to be around Momo without wanting... more. He wanted to feel her close to him, wanted to touch her, to be touched... and he knew it wouldn't happen. It was making him crazy!

She sensed his restraint and felt guilty. She felt that ever since she had yelled at him for going too far he had been terrified of upsetting her again. And some part of her wanted, really really wanted for him to push again... maybe she could let him go a little bit farther this time...

Her hand shook as she ran her palm over his chest, down over his hip and onto his lower back. She felt him gasp slightly at the unexpected touch, then he firmed his fingers in her hair and she felt the welcome sensation of his tongue gently exploring her lips. She smiled and let him deepen the kiss, running her fingers over his spine and pressing herself to him.

He felt her touch his body and responded carefully, not wanting to scare her or upset her again. The feeling of her tongue rubbing against his was heady, and he felt heat flooding all over him. So different from Harri, who was terrifying and far too experienced, Momo was sweet and timid, the two of them exploring together. He sighed happily as she stroked him and allowed his own hands to wander over her back and shoulders, enjoying the feel of her pressing against him...

Momo's eyes opened as she felt his arousal press against her thigh and she froze. She had known, of course, that he was enjoying himself, but this... shivering slightly she decided to pretend she hadn't felt it, moving her body away from him slightly.

He felt her move and realised instantly what had happened. He opened his eyes and pulled back from her, and the words of apology died in his throat as he looked at her wild flush and the worry in her eyes. He shook his head and let her go, trying to will his erection away, and she burst into tears.

"Oh god Momo... I'm so sorry..."

"It's not you, stupid! It's... I'm such a... why do you even bother with me? I'm pathetic!"

He shook his head frantically. "No love, you aren't! I don't care about that stuff, you know that!"

"You do care. And you _should_ care! I'm 18 for gods sake! I should be... we should be..." she sobbed, covering her face with her arms.

Shiro was really panicking now, he had never seen her like this before. "Momo, I really don't care about that! I care about you, and us. The rest of it can wait, or wait forever! Please, please don't cry..."

She shook off his attempt at a hug and ran to the door. "You should find someone who can give you what you want" she snarled, "not some pathetic freak like me!" She flung open the door and bolted.

He followed her out the house, over the wall and got her side door slammed in his face. He banged on the door for nearly 20 minutes before realising that her parents were out. He tried throwing small rocks at her window and calling to her, but she didn't answer, and eventually he was left with no choice but to give up.

He slunk out of her garden and walked blindly through the quiet evening streets, his mind full of anger and grief. He had really screwed up this time, and he knew it. He had no idea how to fix it, and he walked for hours until he realised that he was wandering around the college campus like a lost sheep. Staring about himself, he suddenly understood where the blame for all this lay...

...

Harribel was sitting cross legged on her bed looking through her CD collection when the buzzer went. She was ready for bed, so she pulled a yellow silk robe over her nightgown and crossed to the door. "If it's not a man, come back tomorrow!" she laughed into the intercom.

"Its me."

Her pulse quickened. _Shiro._ And by the sound of it, he was angry about something. She paused for a long moment, then hit the open button to let him into the building.

"Nice to see you, sweetie!" she smiled as he stalked up the corridor towards her.

"Never mind that" he growled "I want to talk with you. Now."

She pouted and stepped back into her room, watching him stomp him past her and closing the door. Turning, she let her robe fall open to reveal the tiny nightgown, and raised an eyebrow when he didn't even twitch.

"My my, aren't we stoic today" she said cheerfully, and flinched as he slammed his hand down on the table top.

"Don't screw around Harri. Ever since you came into my life, everything has been completely fucked up! You, and your bloody obsession with me... it stops! Right now!"

She eyed him. He was flushed with anger and panting slightly – he had wound himself tight into a rage before coming here. Something had happened... she could guess what... and he had laid the blame on her. OK, she thought, now we turn the tables...

"Oh? So I come into your life and show you a bit of attention and what? Big bad blonde woman screws up your shit? Come on Shiro, you cannot be that naïve..."

He stared at her. He had been expecting flirting as a response, not an angry attack, and it flustered him. Flirty, he could almost cope with.

"Momo... you..."

"Oh, so that's it? You fucked up with Little House on the Prairie and now you want to take it out on me?" Her lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl, and she practically spat her next words. "Just because you finally figured out what god gave you hormones for doesn't give you the right to come here and lay it on me!"

Shiro was stunned. It had seemed so clear... she had made him want too much, her flirting, her... her everything, and he had upset Momo... and now, it was equally clear that she was right. None of his actions could be blamed on her. Yes, she had driven him crazy, but that wasn't an excuse...

Harribel watched him loose the inner mental battle and collapse onto the bed, his eyes bruised looking and moist. She gave him a few moments to collect himself, then sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder, pulling her robe around herself.

"Shiro..."

He brushed her hand off almost automatically, rubbing his fingers through his hair. "I don't even know any more. It was... of course it wasn't your fault, but still..."

"You want more than she does. That's all there is to it."

"That's exactly what she said. Except, with the crying and the storming out..."

"Tch. You've had a rough night."

"Yeah... I figured if I yelled at you it would be better somehow. Like, I could fix it after that."

"Well you yelled – can you fix it now?"

"No" he sighed, closing his eyes. "I really, really can't. I totally fucked up. She hates me, and she hates herself even more."

Harri put her arm around his shoulder and smiled inwardly as he didn't push her off this time. His need to be comforted was taking over from his anger. She pulled him to her gently, wrapping her other arm around his neck, and he rested his head on her shoulder, his arms handing loosely at his sides.

"I'm such a... an idiot. That's what. A huge fucking idiot."

"Yeah, you probably are. Welcome to the club!"

He raised his head to look at her, and she smiled sadly. "I don't even know how many relationships I have screwed up. That's why I prefer young, free and single. Its safer that way."

She looked at him, her eyes huge, and he felt the last bits of anger melt away. Sighing slightly at his own idiocy, he closed his eyes as she kissed him.

...

She tugged his jeans and t shirt off easily, throwing them behind her as she straddled him. He watched in awe as she stripped out of her nightgown, revealing her tanned, firm flesh. She rested her hands on his chest and pushed him flat on the bed, aware of a small amount of resistance in him still and determined not to let him act on it. He groaned as she bent over him and kissed him, sinking her fingers into his hair and pressing her body down onto him.

She ran her hands over his body, marvelling at his lithe, muscular figure. She trailed her tongue over his collarbone and lower, sliding down his body and occasionally nipping his pale skin, making him twitch and whimper. He had his eyes closed and was blushing furiously. She wondered if he was thinking of his little girlfriend, and smirked. She knew exactly how to take his mind off her...

Shiro's eyes snapped open as he felt her move to his groin and he half raised himself on the bed, panic clouding his mind. She rested her hand on his chest and pushed back hard, knocking him flat on his back again, and then he groaned as she took him into her mouth. He was on fire, his head swimming and his body writhing under her touch. He twisted his hands in the bedsheets as she pleasured him, all attempt at resistance gone.

Harri grinned as she felt him give in to her and began teasing him, playing her tongue over the sensitive spots and softly running her fingernails up his inner thighs. In minutes he was panting and whimpering, exactly as she wanted him...

He moaned as she kissed him, letting him taste himself on her lips, and shivered as her hand moved over his arousal. She took his hands and led them across her body, deepening the kiss and sitting on his pelvis.

He opened heavy lidded eyes and looked up at her as she sat back slowly, his body a mass of desires and sensations. His eyes roamed over her, the sight of her inflaming him even more.

"Do you want me, Shiro?" she whispered, kissing him softly

"...yes" he gasped, shaking all over from the conflicting desires in him. She laughed gently and kissed his throat. "Then I guess you get to have me..." she breathed, and his eyes closed as she reached down and drew him inside her.

He wrapped his arms around her as she rode him, all thought gone, nothing left but sensation. He buried his head in her shoulder and she sat up, pulling him so she was straddling his lap. Her eyes were closed as she set the pace, feeling his heartbeat

racing as he neared his limit.

Shiro moaned as he felt the familiar tightening in his groin, more intense than he had felt before, and she speeded her motion. She was moaning softly in his ear, her fingernails digging in his back and her teeth nipping his shoulder and neck as she moved. He raced towards his climax, pulling her onto him harder and faster, desire overruling everything else. His breathing shortened as he came, and he cried out "oh god... oh... Momo!"

The frozen moments of stillness ticked by, and then she moved, pushing him back on the bed and walking to the bathroom. He covered his eyes with his hands for a moment then rose, dressing quickly. He was crimson, unsure if he was more ashamed of the sex or calling out Momo's name at the end. Harri didn't come out of the bathroom and he took the hint, slinking out the door quietly. As she heard the door slam, she felt the humiliation boil in her and began to cry in anger, sobbing softly in the empty room.

...

"Momo? Momo Hinamori?"

Momo looked round in surprise, not recognizing the brunette with the goth make-up. "Yes?" she said politely, "do I know you?"

"No, you don't. I'm Sun-Sun, I'm a friend of Tia Harribel? I'm... well I need to talk to you. Its about Shiro Hitsugaya..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: **This is an AU fic, so please don't hate me if the characters are a little OOC! This fic is adult themed and has fairly graphic scenes. Its also only my second multi chapter ever!

Trial by Fire

Shiro was in the canteen, chatting with some friends. He had been avoiding all women for the last few days, especially Momo. He couldn't look at her without being racked with guilt. So when Kira looked over his head and said "Hi Momo... what's wrong!" he froze for a second in sheer panic.

She stepped into view and he stared in horror. Her eyes were red from crying and her face was streaked with tears. He jumped to his feet, and felt like she had punched him as she met his eyes.

"Is it true?" she whispered, clenching her fists in her skirt.

"Is... is what true?" he managed, feeling his heart shrivel inside him. _She knows..._

"You... that you..." she was trembling, stammering the words. "You slept with her... that _whore_ Tia Harribel..."

Shiro felt his vision darken, barely aware of the stares of the people around him. Sound became thin, he felt like he could barely breathe. _Caught, caught! _His brain shrieked at him, and he tried to speak, tried to deny, choking on the words.

She watched his frozen face and terrified eyes and knew the truth in that instant. Her mind filled with fury, anger mixing with misery and betrayal, and she grabbed the first thing she saw, wanting to lash out, to rage against him, to hurt him as much as he had hurt her...

He fell backwards onto the table under her violence, his arms across his face to protect himself, body suddenly numb as she screamed and pummelled him. He heard Kira and Shuuhei pull her off him, heard a distant voice saying "Holy shit... get her out of here! Shiro, can you hear me?" Lowering his arms he became aware of pain and looked down in astonishment at the canteen knife embedded an inch in his chest. "Wha... how...?" he muttered, watching the rapidly spreading red stain on his clothes almost dreamily. Then he passed out...

...

"No, I don't want to press charges... No, I understand that it was... look she was... I don't want to do anything! She's... she was my girlfriend for fucks sake!.. Sorry... sorry Officer, for my language... no... no really, I don't want to do anything. It's fine... Yes, thank you... thank you for your time...goodbye..."

Shiro put the phone down with a groan and winced as pain shot through his chest. He rubbed the healing wound gingerly and glared at the phone.

The 3 days since Momo had stabbed him had been spent mostly on painkillers and sleeping. The wound had been deep not serious, but the knife had been pretty blunt and had taken a big chip out of a rib. He had been allowed back to college on the 5th day, on the promise that he did no physical activity and didn't get stressed. He had even had to take the bus to the campus! And of course the stress had kicked in straight away, as _everyone _seemed to know about it... and found it hilarious...

"How is she?" he asked Kira, half afraid of the reply. His friend looked at him sympathetically, before shaking his head. "Not good – they took her to the nurse and sedated her whilst you were being treated, then took her home. She hasn't been back since."

"God... I didn't dare go over to the house... her Dad will kill me."

"Yeah. Listen, I'm not getting involved here. You fucked up, but she... she _stabbed _you man. There's no way that's right."

"I deserved it"

"Dude, no way. No _way_"

Shiro shook his head and wandered off, lost in his misery.

...

Momo carried the clothes into the changing room at the mall and dumped them on the stool. She carefully avoided her reflection's gaze as she started trying on things. She had been in the house for 2 weeks since the incident in the canteen, and now she was trying to get her head around going back to college. Rukia had offered to help her shop for the return but she had refused, preferring to be alone. She was spending as much time as possible alone at the moment.

A noise from the next cubicle, a loud "tch!" and then a voice that made Momo go cold with rage... "bloody stupid top, fit damn you!" Momo pulled the curtain aside revealing the tall blonde woman pulling a top over her head.

Harribel smiled at her as she saw her, dropping the top on a massive pile of clothes and picking up another one. She watched Momo colour with fury, and then raised an eyebrow.

"You planning to stab me as well? Or are you just enjoying flashing me to the store?"

Momo went red and yanked the curtain shut behind her as she entered Harribel's changing room. "You... you've got some nerve, showing up here..."

"What, I get brave points for being in the same room as you? Little girl, you are _not_ that scary!" Harri said, stripping down to her underwear and trying on a dress. Momo spat incoherently at her for a few seconds, then froze as Harri spoke again.

"You know he loves you, right?"

"Wha... what the... great way to show it, shagging you!" Momo almost screamed. Harri gave her a "look" and tried on some jeans.

"He does though. He only shagged me because I... well, to be fair, I hooked, skinned and cooked him. Its not his fault, it's just what I do"

"You... you what?"

Harri sat down on the stool and looked at Momo sadly. "I chase guys, especially young, cute, attached guys. I make em crazy, have sex with them then dump them. I do it for fun, ya know?"

Momo gaped for a second and then said weakly "...fun? You thought this... was fun?"

"At the start, yeah. It was great fun. He tried so hard to resist, you have no idea. Even when we actually... well he still resisted. He came to my place to have a go at me, to tell me to leave him alone..."

"And then what, accidentally fell into you? Tripped, maybe?" Momo snarled, going a mottled red and white in anger.

"He said your name"

Momo stopped, looking like she had been slapped. Harri nodded, a disgusted expression on her face. "First time that's ever happened to me. I wasn't impressed, let me tell you"

"He said... my name? Whilst he was... with you?"

Harri snorted and began trying on a pair of boots. "Yep. I kicked him out of course. And he's managed to avoid me completely ever since." She eyed Momo. "You putting him in hospital for a few days probably helped there."

Momo watched her, completely derailed. The guilt she had been trying to bury flooded her, and she couldn't think of anything to say. Harri let her agonise for a few minutes, then sighed.

"You should just get over it Momo. Forgive him, ask him to forgive you, make it up and get on with your life."

"No way... he... he knew how I felt about it, about him! And he went ahead and..."

"I already told you, he didn't have a chance" Harri said, uncrossing her legs. "I went after him Momo, and no guy gets away from me if I decide I want him." She frowned slightly "well, apart from Yumichika, but he turned out to be gay." She tossed her hair and stood up. "He fought me at every step, he tried his best to get away, and in the end, he was thinking about you." She glared at Momo and stalked out of the dressing room. "I'd say you won this one, little girl."

...

Shiro looked up at the knock on his bedroom door and said "come in", expecting his nan to push open the door. His jaw dropped as Momo walked in and shut the door firmly behind her. His eyes widened as he took in her outfit... black boots, knee length black and white striped socks, a leather mini skirt and – his mind shut down at this point – a tight, very tight black corset. Her hair was down, her eyes were made huge by the black Kohl liner and she was wearing long, fingerless black mesh gloves...

He was frozen to his chair as she crossed the room to him, staring at her in terror. He nearly fainted as she sat astride him and crossed her wrists behind his head, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Wha... what are you...?" he stammered, and she kissed him firmly, slipping her tongue between his lips and tightening her arms around his neck. He kissed her back for a few seconds, then gripped her shoulders and pulled her away from him. He saw her expression darken and spoke quickly.

"Momo, what are you doing? I mean, not that I'm not loving you being here, but... what are you _wearing_?"

She scowled at him and stood up, turning her back on him "I thought you liked women who look like this" she said bitterly. "Looks like no matter what I look like, you don't want me..."

Shiro shook his head angrily and took hold of her shoulders, turning her around. "No, you're wrong! Momo..." He stared at her and then shrugged helplessly. "You don't have to change anything for me. I love you, no matter what you wear!"

She eyed him in disbelief. "I figured you would like me better if I looked... more like..."

"NO! God, no! Momo..." he pulled her to him tightly, ignoring the pain in his chest it caused. "Momo... I love YOU... that's all there is to it!"

"Even after I... hurt you?"

"...I totally deserved it. I was so..." he shook his head and held her. "I screwed everything up. I hurt you so much..."

"Ssssh" she said, gazing at him and stroking his hair from his eyes. "I want... things to be right with us again. I just want to go back... to being with you."

He kissed her softly, feeling her trembling against him, and ran his fingers through her hair. "If you can forgive me... if you can... I want you back so bad, Momo..."

"I... I forgive you. If you forgive me for..." she touched his chest gently, guilt crossing her face, and he took her hand and kissed her fingers. "It's forgiven" he whispered, and she flung her arms around his neck. "Just please... don't think you have to look like this for me!" he gasped as she clung to him.

She laughed gently and let him go, looking into his eyes very seriously. She kissed him and then crossed to his bed. "If you don't like it, you better come over here and help me take it off..."

...


End file.
